Kristi Noem claims suspect in national guard shooting was ‘radicalized’ in US | Kristi Noem

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed Sunday that the suspect in the national guard attack in Washington, D.C., was “radicalized” in the United States and blamed the Biden administration, even though the suspect’s asylum application was approved by Donald Trump.

The shooting suspect, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, was granted asylum under the Trump administration in April 2025. He worked with CIA-backed units in Afghanistan and arrived in the United States in September 2021 as part of the Operation Allied Welcome program.

“We believe he has been radicalized since he came to this country,” Noem said on NBC’s Meet the Press. “We believe it’s through connections within his community and within his state, and we’ll continue to talk to people who have interacted with him, who are his family members, who have talked to them.”

The Trump administration used the attack as justification to halt and review asylum and green card applications.

Trump told reporters on Sunday that his administration may pause asylum admissions to the United States for an extended period of time. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said, “There’s no time limit, but it could be a long time.” “We have enough problems. We don’t want these people.”

Noem requested “When they come into the country, they are vetted, and under Joe Biden’s administration, that has been completely abandoned.”

“All of this vetting information was collected by Joe Biden’s administration,” Noem said. “The entire review process took place under Joe Biden’s administration.”

Noem also denied defying the judge’s decision when she ordered deportation flights to El Salvador to continue. blame “activist” and “radical” judges.

The comments came in response to questioning on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday about whether Noem had made the decision earlier this year to continue deportation flights against Venezuelan immigrants, as the Justice Department has claimed.

“No matter what radical judge comes along and tries to stop us, we will continue to do the right thing, continue to work, and protect Americans,” Noem said.

Noem also appeared on ABC’s This Week on Sunday, where she confirmed the flights were her decision.

“Yes, I made that decision, and it was entirely within my authority and consistent with the law, the Constitution, and the leadership of this president who is committed to removing dangerous criminal terrorists, gangs, and cartels from our country,” Noem said. in question. “This is an activist judge, and I understand that we are still in litigation in this case against this activist judge who is constantly trying to prevent us from protecting the American people.”

The Justice Department claimed the decision did not violate the judge’s order. US district judge James Boasberg In Washington, D.C., deportation flights already in the air had been ordered to return to the United States in March 2025, but Noem ordered flights already in the air carrying Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador to continue; The justice department claimed the detainees were no longer on US soil.

Boasberg is undergoing a contempt investigation into whether the Trump administration defied a March court order.